Chet Lam

Chet Lam is a renowned Hong Kong independent singer-songwriter whose style has been described by many as "city-folk". He is the elder brother of singer Eman Lam (林二汶).

Biography

Chet Lam started to perform professionally at the age of 10, in a broadcasting drama and TV commercial songs. After graduating from City University of Hong Kong, having majored in Japanese Business, he has been contributing to the Chinese music scene and has released more than 200 pieces of work to date in terms of music and lyrics.

In 2003, Lam's debut album "Pillow Songs" surprised the local music industry by its simplicity, with songs like Ice-Cream Van and The Best is Yet to Come, it helped the artist become a new folk icon and one of the best-selling singers in town. The critical and commercial success of the album set up a platform for the singer to produce the second album Travelogue, which brought him a Best New Artist Award, and a Top Ten Album of the Year in the Chinese Music Media Awards. Within one year Lam secured his position in the music scene as one of the most celebrated artists in China.

His love of Mandarin and English songs and constant support of them have introduced his audience to a wide range of music worldwide. It's not surprising that he was invited to do the opening act for such artists as k.d. lang and Louis Elliot. As a songwriter, he has written many pop hits for singers like Sammi Cheng, Stefanie Sun, Eason Chan and independent group at17.

In addition to chart topping singles, musical plays, gigs and big stadium concerts, all sold out, Chet has also released three collections of his writing and was the leading actor for two independent films revolving around homosexuality.

In 2007 Chet started his own online shop http://www.lyfemusicstore.com.

Personal life

In 2005, Chet, who is openly gay,^[1] endorsed the Hong Kong Gay Pride, and made headlines in 2008 after kissing a male audience member at one of his concerts.^[2] As an honest assertion of his same-sex romantic inclination, he has refused to make commercial music videos, which invariably introduce a member of the opposite sex as the singer's onscreen partner.^[3]

Quotes

"Lam's appearance not only could start a new chapter in the movement of Hong Kong singer songwriters, his subtle tenderness and fragility that set him apart from the mainstream stereotypical pop music emotions could make his success significant." - by Tam Kit Wang, Hong Kong, from Ming Pao

"Chet Lam Yat-fung proves with his latest Cantonese-language album, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, that he is Hong Kong's leading singer-songwriter, capable of conveying a wide range of feelings on relationships and life in a touching and entertaining manner." - Album Review, Hong Kong, from South China Morning Post

Selected awards

• Best Song Written for a Movie - "Turn Left, Turn Right", Golden Horse Awards, Taiwan (2003)
• Best Folk Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
• Best New Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
• Top Ten Album of the Year - "Travelogue", Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2004)
• IFPI Best Selling New Artist Award, Hong Kong (2004)
• Song of the Year (Yu Jian), Global Chinese Music Awards, Taiwan (2004)
• Best Folk Artist, Chinese Music Media Awards, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (2005)

References

1. ^ "Eastern Promise", The Advocate, October 5, 2007, <http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid49576.asp>. Retrieved on {{#iferror:2008

    |2008-02-29
   
   

   |28 February 2008}}
2. ^ [1] (Chinese)
3. ^ [2] (Chinese)

External links

• Chet Lam's official website
• Chet Lam @ pinkwork (sound & video)
• Chet Lam's online journal